Tomorrow marks a new beginning, an end and a start, a continuation and a cessation. It is the start of a new job in a new land,but a job I am well familiar with, teaching school.

I started teaching in 1977 and ended my career in 2010. There were years off in between for child rearing and exploring new careers and many part time years when the children were young or when I was occupied in a new business venture. But teaching was my bread and butter occupation and my fall back career, the one that provided a pension, health benefits and insurance for the family. This was paramount as a single mother. The children were always my first priority.

Then the time came when I could retire. After living with my parents and caring for them for 10 years, well, my father for 5 and my mother for the entire ten years, I was very much in need of a change and a chance to divorce myself from consumerism and the dictates of fashion. So,I left my home in paradise, White Rock, where I had lived for most of the previous 50 years, and came to the frozen north.

Things were moving forward very well, with the bed and breakfast winning rave reviews from the patrons and the farm bringing me joy and camaraderie. Then the bottom fell out of the oil industry and the economy took a dark downturn. It was necessary to close the bed and breakfast, however, the income was and is sadly missed. At first, the plan was to rent my little house,but I was depressed living in the other home and the prospect of renting my little house sent me on a downspin. So, I made the decision to go back to work and to move home to my beloved little house.

It took Alberta a long time to process the application and finally I am in. There was never an interview, which I think is rather unprofessional. The most shocking fact that I have learned is that teaching is Alberta is very lucrative compared to British Columbia. According to the scale, I would earn over twenty thousand dollars a year more here doing the same job as in BC. If the right position presents itself, I will accept it and work full time. Then for the next few years, I will have the opportunity to rebuild my fortune, subdivide my land and become comfortable once more with a better ability to help my children, now young adults, have a healthy financial start to their lives too.

I am grateful for the opportunity to go back to work. At my age (61) and with the huge number of unemployed in this area, having a job is a really good thing. The pay for a substitute teacher is not on par with BC though. I suppose they pay their regular teachers so well, that the substitute teachers take what is allotted for them and hope for a job. This opening will allow me to meet new people and possibly make some friends. I hope to be able to offer them some of the products I make for sale and possibly sell eggs as well. And tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life. Wish me well!

The beautiful sea side town of White Rock, my home for most of my life. With every new beginning, there is apprehension and some remorse.I loved White Rock, though needed this change. Tomorrow will bring a new juncture in life for me.